Case Reopened
by OneDarkandStormyNight
Summary: Watson's viewpoint of that key, memorable moment in the closing scene. Just an addition to the end of the movie, nothing drastically changed. A poor summary, I know, but I don't want to give it away.


_Did anyone besides me absolutely fall in love with these two unforgettable characters?? I loved this Holmes and Watson so much that I have to see the movie again, tomorrow. :D They are such a wonderful team, and to be perfectly honest, it really disappointed me that the problem of Holmes being hurt over Watson's leaving was never officially resolved. I mean, really, we didn't even get Watson saying that he would go with him to hunt Moriarty!_

_That being said, this is my alternate ending to Sherlock Holmes; it is not angst-y or anything like that, but I wanted it to be certain that Watson would continue to be a member of the Agency._

_Also, for those of you who know me, you know that I have not, do not, and shall not EVER write slash; for those of you who do not, I think I've made myself clear._

_May write more Sherlock Holmes (the movie) fanfiction if so inspired… and if I get good reviews…*hint, hint, wink, wink*_

**Case Reopened**

Holmes gracefully spun the worn hat onto his head as the constable's words hung in the air. As he turned to gaze out the dirtied window overlooking Baker Street, his cool, composed voice broke the tensed silence,

"Case reopened."

Those two little words rung throughout the room, bringing with them a surge of excitement and suspense. Whatever was to come next, those two little words announced that he would be in the midst of it, fighting for the good, outwitting the evil. He had chosen his path, made his decision, and in the process had chosen to defy whatever dangers or fears became of it. No matter what bullets were fired from the weapon of the wicked, he was unstoppable now. Those two little words declared it.

I stood there, thoughtful for what felt like hours, as my mind grasped the meaning behind his declaration.

Without warning, a vision swirled before my mind's eye. A black figure with a handgun hidden in his walking stick - he is brilliant, and cunning…an equal to my friend, the only equal he'll ever have…Holmes lying dead in a mortuary, the mangled victim of an unknown assassin…countless inspectors and constables standing reverently over an open grave, paying respects solemnly…myself and Mary, gathering the last box of trinkets from a room with the fading scent of tobacco smoke and chemicals lingering in the walls…

…all because he had made his vow, and he was alone in it…

My chest tightened in reaction to that revelation, painfully pulling at the bandages around my burned shoulders.

What had we decided upon? That Blackwood would be our final case together? Why? Why must it be? Had we once discussed the reason for our unanimous conclusion? No, we hadn't. The both of us had merely accepted the fact that once I we were separated, it would mean the ending of our adventures together, the closing and locking of that chest that held my journals forever.

But would we really be so far apart? Did the sliding of that golden band onto my finger signify the end of mine and Holmes' life together? Would that be the potential end of my friend's exceptional existence, shot dead, or worse, because I was not there, standing reliably with him, watching his back as he watched mine?

No, it would not be. I would not allow it.

Only seconds had passed, and Holmes still gazed through the yellowing window, his jaw set firmly as his mind.

In one blind movement, I had swiped up my hat from where I'd laid it upon the table and pulled it down over my head.

Catching the sudden action in his peripheral vision, Holmes glanced up at me, his face bearing that cynical, vacant, indifferent expression that was unique to him, but his dark eyes alighting with a daringly hopeful inquisitiveness.

"Ready when you give the word, Holmes," I told him resolutely, gripping my walking stick eagerly. This was my vow to him. I would remain by his side, shoulder-to-shoulder with him; no matter what tried to come between us, we would defeat all evils together, as we always had.

At my pronouncement, Holmes' eyes widened ever-so-slightly with surprise, his brow wrinkling with obvious confusion.

I glanced to Mary; resolute was I in my decision to remain a partner of our Agency, but still I worried over the affect it could have upon me and my bride.

From her position upon the floor, her beautiful face beamed, her eyes sparkled, the fugitive bulldog having been forgotten.

She was bestowing her blessings upon my undertaking. She would not oppose, for she understood the bond that held me.

A man cannot forsake his brother.

Relief consuming me, I could only smile thankfully at that extraordinary lady and revert my gaze to Holmes.

He had not moved, still staring at the floor as he tried to comprehend what motivated me. Perhaps I would tell him someday.

At long last, he must have chosen to give up the puzzle, for he raised his gaze to meet mine, and stated surely and elatedly,

"Shall we begin at once, then, Watson?"

"Lead the way, Holmes. Our case won't wait, you know."

His face lit up with a passion I had not seen since I had announced my engagement.

I followed him through the door, kissing Mary's soft blonde hair and grabbing Holmes' forgotten revolver from the chemical-stained desk drawer as I rushed to catch up to him.

And so, it began again - another adventure, another story, and another day in our uncommon and incomparable lives together.

**THE END**_…or is it?_

_Well…how was it? Honestly, I don't quite understand the whole Moriarty thing - in the books, Holmes didn't even know Moriarty existed until well after Watson was married, and then he throws the villain off a waterfall in the end, so I don't quite get how he knows him already in the movie. But I think the Holmesian universe Guy Ritchie created is vastly different from the traditional one, so anything's possible…_

_I'm already hoping for a Sherlock Holmes 2! LOL!_


End file.
